Deceitful Woman

A Poem by Minh Nguyen

Inspired by Maya Angelo, the poem captures the struggles of girls and women in today's society

Deceitful woman

Hidden behind the mask deceiving all men
Lies a break in one’s heart every now and then
What worth do I possess
When my body’s in distress
To me,
It’s my face that shows it all
When I step outside the door
When I glance into the mirror
When it’s the magazine I adore
Petite and thin
Deceitfully
Deceitful woman,
That’s me

Insecure steps go unnoticed by the crowd
Distant from one’s eyes
I seek to hide away
Blank faces is all I see
Looking perfect in their dresses
Defining beauty as they pass
To me
The excitement in my chest
Sensing envy down my spine
Makes me believe it’s true
The light will never let me shine
Petite and thin
Deceitfully
Deceitful woman,
That’s me

The key to beauty is confidence
It will open up all doors
But self-esteem is at an end
Even I cannot comprehend
The burden I carry
It is one I will never let go
With my identity forever lost.
To me
My thighs are too wide
My shoulders too broad
My smile as I lied
Petite and thin
Deceitfully
Deceitful woman,
That’s me

Hurting as I struggle
To lift the deadly spoon
Please put my pain at rest
As my thoughts begin to swoon
Those girls I mourn to be
Even now it’s far too soon
To me
It’s in that small spoonful
That makes it count
One more kilo
Whatever the amount
What woman am I?
Deceitfully
Deceitful woman
That’s me